We were in the GF 11 games ago.

I'd like to see Shinfield in for sezer when we return with gannon coming in too, Bentley either starts or doesn't play and Johnson consistently on the bench. Walters to get an opportunity too.

Agreed

I have, and for quite a while, no confidence in smith.
i hope he proves me wrong but I don't rate him and can't see us becoming succesunder him

Personally i think some are underestimating how big Smith’s task is. We have badly mismanaged the cap for a fair few years, one of the reasons smith was brought in was his ability with younger players and bringing them through, it wasn’t as if he took over a great squad with balance who was already successful.

Hes come in got rid of some of the dead wood and will do the same this year. We didn’t build our (relatively) recent success on short term thinking, that’s been our problem for the last 6 years and why we are having to continue to rebuild.

I still think we’ll finish in the top 4 this year though.

In Rohan we trust......................... Leeds only start playing in August so don't worry?

Not sure about Smith but I'm even less sure about the culture within the playing group. Who has that genuine will to win? We're in the situation where the likes of Dwyer, Donaldson and the like are rightly giving way to players with more talent. Unfortunately their replacements seemingly lack their commitment to the cause and will to win.
I'm looking especially at those who've come through our system and in whom that should be most deeply embedded. Have they got it? As of now, I'd have to say not.
Skill -wise we probably have most of the tools needed.

Interesting view, would you like to expand on the view, the players coming through are not committed to winning.

Id be interested too because it’s not what I’m seeing

Anyone reading that would think we’re Hull FC

Lack of commitment or poorly coached, it’s one or the other or both.

I get a sense with Austin that it's frustration to a degree. He gives everything (effort is the minimum expectation, I know) but his overplaying at times is, in my opinion, borne out of a lack of creativity elsewhere.

Who specifically are you talking about player wise that lack’s commitment?

It just sounds like a typical knee jerk reaction after a loss to me.

I think we all know that this is going to take a few years to fix from when we actually start properly. We’ve had false start after false start since the end of the goldens, so it’s understandable that people (me included) can be impatient at times.

We cleared a fair chick of dead wood off last close season, and I’ve no doubts we will do again this, but getting the cap back under control is only solving part of the problem albeit a big part.

We need to be seeing the 21-25 year old local and British lads getting regular game time as they will be our future not the 30+ year olds who will be gone in 12 months or so. We built our last success on a great crop of young British players, sogning other top British players, and a sprinkling of good quality O/S players who added quality and experience. This is what we need to do again.

My only beef with RS, who I think is doing a great job overal, is that we are ridiculously inconsistent on the field and I think in part that’s down to playing a style that this bunch of players are incapable of.

We should continue on the journey with him for sure, but he also has some adjustments to make.

Be interesting to see how many away games we win this season. Can’t see this lot winning many. I’m at a loss as to why we seem so flat at the start of every game, even more flat when we’re away (saints the exception). It’s either down to the head coach or the poor attitude of players… or both ! But it needs sorting.

I'm away so didn't get to the game.
But this is a familiar trend. We're consistently inconsistent.
We're in a battle for 5th to 9th with HKR, Hudds, Salford and Leigh.
Unfortunately at the moment, we look the worst out of those teams.
I'm sure I'll be accused of being pessimistic, but this is where we are.
9th would be a dreadful season given the squad we have.
This squad should be capable of top 4, but we'll be nowhere near there.
So, there must be a problem with either motivation and attitude, or with the tactics.
Sadly mostly down to coaching.
Teams have worked out how to play our system and are countering it with high energy and fast starts.
Not sure I buy this 'innovation' stuff touted about Smith.
The game has been played for well over 100 years - the basics are fundamentally the same.
He's done a good job with the squad, but this is a results business.
If we do finish 9th, I'm not sure he'll be here next season.